After losing (and gaining) and losing more than 500 pounds over his life, last year Ethan Suplee set a new goal: "I want to hit 10 percent body fat," Suplee said. "And I'm within reach."
Which is saying something, considering that the actor and now anti-diet evangelist had already drastically overhauled his weight, fitness, and lifestyle.
At 24, Suplee weighed more than 500 pounds. And although his weight didn't seem to impede his success in Hollywood, with roles from American History X to The Wolf of Wall Street, his on-a-diet-off-a-diet approach to eating was toying with his physical and mental health.
Over the course of the last few years, however, Suplee ditched diets in favor of an exercise program focused on strength training and an eating plan that was based on consuming healthy foods without demonizing any certain food or food group.
As of late October last year, Suplee, 44, hit his goal by registering nine percent body fat and unearthed a set of abs enviable to men even half his age.
"I'm at my absolute pinnacle," Suplee says, of the October photo shoot during which the pictures featured in this article were taken. "I spent 35, 40 years without taking my shirt off in public."
Men's Health
Suplee says that the photos are not retouched in anyway. "The shadows haven't been enhanced. There's loose skin. There are scars. This is who I am."
Suplee says his abs were there result of several weeks of calibrating his carbohydrate and, eventually, sodium intakeall of which done under the close supervision of his trainer, International Federation of Bodybuilding Pro Jared Feather.
"I was wondering if we could go furthereight percent or seven percent body fat," says Suplee. "But then I thought about all the wacky diets I've done over the years and realized that I can't keep doing this. Do I want to want to walk around looking like I look in those pictures? Honestly, I'm not sure I have what it takes."
And therein lies Suplee's next challenge.
"My instinct, as someone who has been trying to lose weight for so long, is that I want my numbersthe number on the scale, my body fat percentageto go down," he says. "I'm trying now to learn to live in, and be happy with, the maintenance period."
For Suplee, that means enjoying meals with his family that they're enjoying too. That means going out to eat. That means not having to measure his food. That means "practicing what I realize is a cringey wordmindfulnessthat, oh, this is a nice meal that I'm eating," instead of as fuel toward a specific goal, he says.
Maintenance, he says, is not a matter of physical adjustment, but psychological.
"I used to think that losing weight was all about willpower, but that's not entirely true," Suplee says. "If you dont have useful information, what are you going to impose your will on?"
Suplee launched his own podcast, American Glutton, one year ago, so he could share the conversations he was having with friends and experts about better eating and exercise. His newfound sense of mindfulness also led him to host a 30-day accountability forum on the Marco Polo Channels app. There, Suplee video chats with people who, like him, are trying to reach their next goal.
"I spent decades adjusting to periods of suffering through dieting. It worked. I'd get to my goaland then very rapidly undo my goal. The way more important level for me now isnt the period where I'm suffering, but the period where I'm in love with my life," he says.
One recent example? Suplee discovered that his 15-year-old daughter had never experienced the taste of McDonald's french fries. So they went together, ordered a bag, and enjoyed them together.
"We didn't even finish the bag," Suplee says. "It wasn't even a thing."
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io
More:
Actor Ethan Suplee, on His Abs, Weight Loss, and Mental Strength - menshealth.com
- Don't Give Up: 9 Ways to Reinvent Your 2021 Diet, Fitness Resolutions - Healthline - January 12th, 2021
- How to Lose Belly Fat | Belly Fat Exercises and Diet - esquire.com - January 12th, 2021
- Kate Middleton's diet and exercise: her fitness secrets revealed - New Idea - January 12th, 2021
- 5 Diet Pill Ingredients That Actually Work For Weight Loss - South Florida Caribbean News - January 12th, 2021
- The best esports exercise and diet plan by the Head of Performance at EXCEL ESPORTS - T3 - January 12th, 2021
- Low-carb, no sugar, no fat: the fad diets popular in the 20th century - The Conversation UK - January 12th, 2021
- Robert Pattinson 'Batman' Workout and Diet Plan - Men's health UK - January 12th, 2021
- 7 At-Home Exercises You Need To Add In Your Journey From FAT-TO-FIT - Tech Geeked - January 12th, 2021
- Skip the diet and dating goals? You should make this your New Year's resolution - USA TODAY - January 12th, 2021
- Ingenuine workout and diet plans have made fitness freak Vaughn Cohen the best fitness trainer in Marbella, Europe. - Datasource Hub - January 12th, 2021
- Weight loss: "I climbed 60 flights of stairs regularly and got in shape" - Times of India - January 12th, 2021
- The 17 Best Longevity Tips Experts Taught Us in 2020 - Well+Good - January 12th, 2021
- Improve HDL and LDL with TLC - Bel Marra Health - January 12th, 2021
- 'I've Maintained My 61-Pound Weight Loss For 8 Years By Setting These S.M.A.R.T. Goals' - Yahoo Lifestyle - January 9th, 2021
- New Year, New Wellness Goals - UPMC - January 9th, 2021
- COVID keeping you from the gym? No problem - Indianapolis Recorder - January 9th, 2021
- Stay Fit in Your 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and Beyond - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic - January 9th, 2021
- 806 Health Tip: A Few Diets To Try In The New Year - mix941kmxj.com - January 9th, 2021
- Nutrition and mental health: Is there a link? - Medical News Today - January 9th, 2021
- Ensure Healthy Thyroid Function With These Expert Recommended Diet Tips - NDTV - January 9th, 2021
- How to get fit: Get fit for 2021 with the best workouts and diet tips - T3 - January 9th, 2021
- One 5-Minute Workout Can Melt Belly Fat, Says Study - Eat This, Not That - January 9th, 2021
- Meet the bacteria that might help treat diabetes - Medical News Today - January 9th, 2021
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: Make These Changes In Your Diet And Lifestyle To Fight Symptoms Effectively - NDTV - January 9th, 2021
- Diabetes + Obesity = Diabesity: All You Need To Know About This Metabolic Dysfunction - India.com - January 9th, 2021
- Make these diet and lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of cancer - TheHealthSite - January 9th, 2021
- The Diet Plans To Suit All Shapes And Sizes, From 5/2 To Fasting Via Veganism - The Sportsman - January 9th, 2021
- 'After Starting A Low-Carb, High-Protein Diet, I Lost 85 Pounds And Got Rid Of So Many Cravings' - Women's Health - January 5th, 2021
- The One Test to Get If You're Worried About Your Heart Health - The Beet - January 5th, 2021
- US News ranks the best diets for weight loss, other health benefits for 2021 - WTOP - January 5th, 2021
- Health and fitness essentials to help you tackle your New Year's resolution - CNN - January 5th, 2021
- On Waitlist for Liver Transplants, Women Die More Often Than Men - HealthDay News - January 5th, 2021
- Five experts, five tips: GPs on keeping well mentally and physically - The Irish Times - January 5th, 2021
- This Guy Followed a Plant-Based Diet and Lost 180 Pounds - menshealth.com - January 5th, 2021
- What is intuitive eating? The anti-diet that wants to repair your relationship with food - Her.ie - January 5th, 2021
- Weight management goals to set this year - The Citizen - January 5th, 2021
- High-Calorie Food In Winters: Why To Avoid It And Expert-Suggested Alternatives - NDTV Food - January 5th, 2021
- Could a supplement be as effective as exercise at protecting health? - Medical News Today - January 3rd, 2021
- Diet & exercise should be on your New Year's Resolution list - Yahoo News - January 3rd, 2021
- The Case for Keto review why a full-fat diet should be on the menu - The Guardian - January 3rd, 2021
- Aussie fitness guru Tiffiny Hall reveals how to lose that final five kilos - 9Coach - January 3rd, 2021
- In Exercised, Harvard professor Daniel Lieberman looks at why exercise, despite its aggravations, is worth it - The Boston Globe - January 3rd, 2021
- Cold weather or winter headaches - What causes them? - TheHealthSite - January 3rd, 2021
- Jessica Alba Swears by Pilates, HIIT, and Hot Yoga for Strong, Sculpted Abs at 39 - Prevention.com - January 3rd, 2021
- Looking to Be Healthier in the New Year? These Tips Will Help - South Florida Reporter - January 3rd, 2021
- Zion Williamson Changed His Diet After a Disappointing Rookie Year: All the Sauce, the Bacon, That StuffHe Cant Have That - Sportscasting - January 3rd, 2021
- Belfast weight-loss expert offers five top tips for fitness and diet in 2021 - Belfast Live - January 3rd, 2021
- Resolutions: Small, steady change to lifestyle is better than dieting, expert says - The Augusta Chronicle - January 3rd, 2021
- How to boost your immune system in weeks and maintain it long-term - BusinessGhana - January 3rd, 2021
- Dementia: Weight training exercises could help protect the brain against Alzheimers - TechnoCodex - January 3rd, 2021
- 5 New Year's Resolutions for Better Gut Health - LIVESTRONG.COM - January 3rd, 2021
- 5 ways to get fitter than ever, include exercise in 2021 - Times Now - January 3rd, 2021
- The dangers of obesity in pets - Kathorus Mail - January 3rd, 2021
- 7-day bodybuilding meal plan: Benefits, nutrition, and grocery list - Medical News Today - December 27th, 2020
- Skipping These Foods Can Be Dangerous for Your Mental Health, Study Says - Eat This, Not That - December 27th, 2020
- The warrior diet: Pros, cons, how to follow it, and example meal plan - Medical News Today - December 27th, 2020
- Ray Wetterlund III : You're only one workout away from a good mood - Thrive Global - December 27th, 2020
- The Biking Workout That Hit 10,000 Miles in a Year - The Wall Street Journal - December 27th, 2020
- What is the best diet for women? Options and research - Medical News Today - December 27th, 2020
- Cut back on meat for a week with this 7-day vegetarian meal plan recommended by a registered dietitian - Business Insider India - December 27th, 2020
- The 6 Best Diets That Will Make You Live Longer, Say Dietitians - Eat This, Not That - December 27th, 2020
- The best nutrition to start 2021 - Sportstar - December 27th, 2020
- How to boost your immune system in weeks and maintain it long-term - Insider - INSIDER - December 27th, 2020
- Drew Barrymores Fitness Routine Isnt Perfect, but This Was Still a Really Healthy Year - Prevention.com - December 27th, 2020
- Bloated, full, sluggish: Is fasting the answer to festive feasting? - Sydney Morning Herald - December 27th, 2020
- Follow These Home Remedies to Get Rid of Constipation - TechnoCodex - December 27th, 2020
- Best way to create healthy New Year's Resolution for 2021 - Mumbai Live - December 27th, 2020
- The best diet is the diet you can stick to - Seacoastonline.com - December 27th, 2020
- How what you are eating is affecting how you sleep - The Irish Times - December 27th, 2020
- Soda Habits That Are Shortening Your Life, According to Science - Eat This, Not That - December 27th, 2020
- How to live longer: Walking pace may influence your life expectancy - how fast to walk - Express - December 27th, 2020
- The pillars of mental health: Good sleep, exercise, and healthy diet - Yahoo News UK - December 20th, 2020
- Weight loss: "I had dalia every night for dinner and got my pre-pregnancy body back" - Times of India - December 20th, 2020
- What a cutting diet is and how to follow it - Medical News Today - December 20th, 2020
- Nutrition and exercise is key in easing joint pain - IOL - December 20th, 2020
- Americans promise to eat healthier 4 times a month but never follow through - Study Finds - December 20th, 2020
- Sabudana health benefits: 8 compelling reasons why you must include Sabudana (Sago) in your diet - Times of India - December 20th, 2020
- Winter Health Tips: Add Onion And Garlic To Your Diet To Prevent Cough And Cold, Says Nmami Agarwal - NDTV Doctor - December 20th, 2020
- A 20-Minute Workout to Sculpt Your Arms and Chest (See Ya, Armpit Fat) - LIVESTRONG.COM - December 20th, 2020
- Sleep, food, or exercise: Which has the biggest impact on mental health? - Stuff.co.nz - December 13th, 2020